Wine Dinner at Viognier Restaurant

This was a late dinner, light repast after our Molecular Gastronomy cooking demonstration at Draeger's in San Mateo. Thanks to David Niederauer for alerting us to the cooking class, and for organizing a very tasty dinner with some excellent wines. The Viognier food was great, and the service was very attentive and wine knowledgeable.

The '01 Kistler Vine Hill was in good shape and quite tasty. The '99 was oxidized, but enjoyable for 15 minutes or so, before it really started to decline. The '78 Alexander Valley was quite nice for a 30 year old Cali Chardonnay (thanks to George Kautzman, our usual source for Cali Chard antiquities).

Heirloom Tomato pizza starter:

• 1999 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Light medium golden color; nutty, hazelnut and oxidized nose; hazelnut, toast and maple, with decent acidity, but very advanced for '99; medium finish

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• 2001 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Light medium greenish yellow color; lemon tajine, baked lemon and mineral nose; tasty, balanced, tart lemon, mineral and baked lemon palate; medium finish 92+ pts.

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• 1978 Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Light orange color with pale meniscus; big, sherried, smoky, anchovy and VA nose; savory, tangy, buttery entry with tart citrus and lemon midpalate; medium finish 88+ pts.

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A couple of excellent West Coast Pinots. The Copain had surprising complexity for the vintage and its young age, while the SQN was showing much better, by far, than the prior couple of times I've had it over the years. A tasty flight, and nice with the Viognier duck platter: duck confit, duck meat loaf, duck sausage, duck bacon and seared foie gras.

• 2006 Copain Pinot Noir "En Haut" Kiser 93 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Dried red fruit and cranberry nose; good acidity, very tart red fruit, mineral and rosehips palate; medium finish

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• 2002 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Hollerin' M 94 Points

  USA, Oregon, Yamhill County

  Cherry, dried cherry and incense nose; rich, but balanced, tasty, ripe, dried cherry, black cherry and sous bois palate; medium-plus finish

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Two impressive Cali Cabs. A very satisfying end to an educational evening, and a good pairing with my lamb shoulder fettucini (the Ridge paired especially well with that).

• 1994 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Dark red violet color; gorgeous, sexy, blackberry and more nose; lovely cassis, berry and mint palate, young yet; medium-plus finish

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• 1984 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Redwood, mushroom, forest floor, plum, eucalyptus and menthol nose; tasty, tart plum, tangy, meat and mushroom palate; medium finish

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David and Patrick: